Toilets and footpaths wanted

Scared: Candace and Murray Williams and Murra find it dangerous to walk to the shops with their son Harrison as there are a lack of footpaths in Spring Farm. Picture: Simon Bennett

Spring Farm has a shopping centre, a school and a park but there are two things missing.

A public toilet and adequate footpaths.

Over recent weeks residents have raised concerns about the lack of toilets at the new park and about the safety of pedestrians walking along Springs Road.

Candace Wilson has lived in Spring Farm for four years.

She said she loved the area but felt unsafe walking to and from the shopping centre with her newborn baby.

“We often have to walk along the road because the grassed area is like a construction site and is covered in glass and other things,” she said.

“There is no safe way to walk in that area of Spring Farm.”

Ms Wilson said cars are travelling 60km/h along the road and she often had to stop for fear of being hit.

“I wouldn’t say they are speeding but they are travelling fast enough for us to be worried,” she said.

“We aren’t the only ones who walk that section of road – we just want council to consider the safety of residents.

“The school is just down the road and kids don’t have a footpath to walk on either.”

A Camden Council spokesman said in new residential release areas, footpaths are delivered by developers at the completion of subdivision and housing development.

“In areas such as Spring Farm where there is fragmented land ownership and multiple developers, situations arise where there are missing links of footpath as a result of land not being developed or finalised,” he said.

“Construction of a section of footpath between Norfolk Boulevard and the southern side of Springs road is being constructed by developers and is expected to start within the next couple weeks.”

The spokesman said residents can request footpaths at any time, with these requests taken in to consideration when developing future footpath work programs.

Residents have also taken to social media to express their disappointment at the lack of toilet facilities at Spring Farms new park.

Camden Council will be discussing this issue at next Tuesday’s council meeting.

Councillors will also discuss the construction of a shade structure at the new park.

Councillor Peter Sidgreaves will ask council officers to investigate the costs associated with providing a toilet block and shade structures to the new playground located at Burrell Road, Spring Farm.

Officers will also be asked to provide an urgent report regarding the costs and potential funding of these works.

The huge park opened in September and is home to the region’s largest playground.

The Burrell Road park includes slides, climbing equipment, trampolines, swingsets, seesaws and it is also wheelchair accessible.